The Airi Chronicles
by M00nDancer
Summary: This story is about a female half demon who goes through hell over and over again. From escaping enslavement, to Inutachi she struggles to find her own path. Join Airi on her journeys in the feudal era we all know and love. (A spin-off from the Lost Chapters) Rated M because of language and lemons.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Airi was introduced into the world of Inuyasha during my fanfic The Lost Chapters. This story begins before she runs into them. I really appreciate all your support and reviews. The cover art was created by me and is a first glimpse of Airi. There's more art on Deviant Art for at AiriChronicles.

 _I do not own InuYasha or the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. But Airi is mine :-)_

PROLOGUE:

 **A Beauty from the Ashes**

In the feudal era nestled within the vast Forest of Harune, the sky began to brighten over the remains of what had once been a peaceful village. Its hidden location had afforded its previous residents refuge from the greed and suffering of war. But soon the simple village became targeted by a strong group of ruthless bandits, led by the notorious Commander Shuu. There wasn't a person around who didn't cower at the name. He was a war deserter, who attracted the most violent and heartless men to his side. And their greed, fueled by their success of burning and pillaging small helpless towns, had no limits.

The bandits ambushed this isolated village at night, giving its inhabitants little chance to flee from their brutality. Most of the men and women were cut down and the few children that managed to escape perished from hunger, sickness or demon attacks before they could reach the outskirts of the woods. Thereafter, Commander Shuu set up a permanent base at the site and expanded his reign of terror on neighboring towns.

But now, said village lay in ruins once again.

A blazing fire ravaged the camp and purged the area of any signs of life. The surrounding trees would have succumbed to the greedy flames as well, had it not been for the kami of that forest. He summoned a heavy rainfall overnight to cleanse the old village of the remaining darkness and bloodthirst from the bandits. The Forest of Harune was a place for peace and calmness and although he wasn't strong enough to stop the bandit's merciless behavior throughout the past few years, he could still protect the natural essence of his forest.

In the morning, the sun slowly peeked over the horizon and painted orange and rose streaks across the sky. But the rays barely reached the ground through the thick, dense smoke lingering eerily over the land, as if to deter others from approaching the area. For if anyone other than the Kami had been there, they would've mistaken the human-like shadow rising from the ashes for a demon. Long legs stretched up from the ground and sharp emerald eyes scanned the area. But the Kami recognized the teenage girl immediately and was overcome with happiness and guilt. Her survival sparked a wondrous joy, but then sadness consumed him. There were not many who knew of what she had endured over the last few years and everyday he wished he wasn't one of them. He regretted his inability to save this girl from the barbarity she had suffered in the hands of Commander Shuu. A young girl taken from her homeland and imprisoned in an encampment of rough, sinful men. Death might have been an easier way to end her hardships, he thought, because she would surely have to experience much more before she could be happy. He watched her as she looked around confused and astonished at her own continued existence, no doubt trying to recall what had happened the night before.

 **-X-**

Gradually images of Tsuyoshi surfaced in her mind. His lifeless face lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood. The last word to leave his lips before the light left his eyes was her name, Airi.

Commander Shuu's demeaning rhetoric echoed in her head, forcing her to relive the horror again, "You think you can escape _me_ , you stupid whore! I _own_ you! You're only alive so I have something warm to put my dick in at night!"

Airi's anguish quickly turned to rage as the sound of Commander Shuu's loud tantalizing laughter and repulsive insults filler her head. She hated him. He was a foul repulsive excuse of a man, who simply took whatever he wanted. With the exception of Airi, she had been offered up as a _gift_ from her hometown.

* * *

The small defenseless village that she grew up in had seeked out the commander themselves and taken the liberty of exchanging Airi's freedom for their safety. Initially, the commander had outright refused their offer. He could get a young 14 year old girl any time he wanted. It certainly wasn't a good enough reason to deny his men the spoils of raiding and wrecking another town. But their incessant pleading was annoying and once they offered him a nice amount of gold in addition, he finally agreed to see this " _gift_ " out of boredom. When the commander first laid eyes on Airi, he was less than impressed. She was pretty with long wavy grey hair to the middle of her back and piercing green eyes. She was taller than your average woman with specially tailored clothing made out of a very fine silk. He thought her to be a lord's daughter, the typical shy and obedient type, the type that he had absolutely no use for. But the village leaders had an ace up their sleeve. They were well-informed about the commander's sadistic behavior and it was a simple task to get him interested in their peace offering.

When Airi was brought in front of the commander, one of the guards demanded that she bow to him. But instead she continued to hold her head high. The guard yanked down hard on her chains bringing her to the ground, while another guard forced her to keep her head down. And as if someone flipped a switch, Airi's fiery personality came out like an explosion. She fought savagely against the men holding her down and screamed about how she couldn't be used as a bartering tool. To top it off she spit on the commander's shoes. That action alone triggered a hellish grin to spread across his face. He wanted her. Not as a wife, but as a form of amusement. He saw a girl that needed to be broken and he was more than up to the challenge. He walked up to her then and clasped his hands around her neck still smiling dangerously. Her neck was long and elegant and she gasped for breath as he squeezed it tighter. "I'll take her," he had said, while cutting off her supply of air until she passed out. As her body began to slump, he let her drop to the ground in a loud thud. Later when she came to, she was no longer in her hometown and would withstand a life of hell for the next three years.

* * *

The humiliation and mistreatment she suffered was unfathomable. But Airi proved to be stronger and more resilient than he had expected. And although she had grown to be more compliant, she was by no means tame. So the moment Commander Shuu cut down the one shining light in her life, she had gone into a blind rage.

That shining light's name was Tsuyoshi. He was one of the guards tasked with watching her while the rest of the bandits were out on raids. He was older than the others and therefore a rather different individual from the rest. He had joined Commander Shuu out of a necessity to survive. He had a kindness to him and over time his kindness turned into love for Airi. The more she was abused the more he wanted to run away with her. With him being the only man to show her compassion, she had reciprocated his affections. Whether she truly loved him or not was unclear. Secretly, they planned to escape from the encampment and start a new life together. But that dream died with Tsuyoshi when their plans were foiled, leaving revenge and rage to consume her.

Without a second thought, she had picked up one of Tsuyoshi's axes and sliced open Commander Shuu's gut. The dumbfounded look on his face as he had fallen hadn't brought her any relief, however. Nevertheless she felt empowered from killing him and laughed like a crazed banshee. Bandits and small demons alike had cowered in fear when they heard her unhinged cackling. And in her lack of sanity, she set the entire camp on fire, without a care for her own life. Airi had given up on living. Her sole purpose was to kill Commander Shuu and she had already sent _him_ to hell. Mad with sorrow, she lost consciousness amidst the smoke and flames, as she cried over Tsuyoshi's lifeless corpse. She surrendered her last breath with the hope that her next life would be a better one.

 **-X-**

But now, Airi stood amongst the ruins of the camp that had previously been her personal prison. How had she survived such a destructive fire?

The young girl glanced down at herself; the once luxurious, silk kimonos she wore were reduced to mere rags. They hung from her body like an accessory, baring every private part of her body, as if the commander was trying to get the last laugh. Outraged by this thought, she ripped off what was left of them and tossed them aside. The disturbed ashes rose up around her making her cough violently. She wasn't sure of what to do next or where to go, but she definitely wouldn't stay there. Decidedly, she bent down and pulled two large heavy weapons from the ground and slung them over her right shoulder. The Kami of Harune Forest sent a fresh breeze in her direction, hoping she would choose the path he guided her towards. At least that path will lead her to some form of clothing to cover her nakedness, he thought. Even though he knew her hardships were far from over, he hoped they would be easier to bear. Airi flitted into the woods unaware of the Kami watching her. Nor did she look back upon the devastation she had never expected to survive. She was finally free.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own InuYasha or the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

 **A Step in the Right Direction**

Airi had started off at a run into the forest, but was steadily becoming more and more aware of her nakedness along with the fact that she had no idea where she was or where to go. She rethought her tactics and instead scampered from tree to tree and prayed that she didn't run into anyone, whether it be friend or foe. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long for a small shred of hope.

Through the trees she spotted a rundown hut nestled in the woods. She scanned the area and listened carefully for any signs of life before ultimately decided that it was probably abandoned. She was right, as it had been unoccupied from around the time the bandits took over the area. Nevertheless, she stealthily crept up to it and peered into the front window: no bedding lay on the floor, there was one, old, rusty pot in the corner and what seems to be a pile of linens in the other corner. They didn't look promising, but whatever there was would have to be good enough, because walking around naked was not an option.

She flipped back the tattered flap and entered the hut. She started towards the linens on the floor, but remembered that she was covered with soot and ash.

"Please Kami, let there be water nearby."

She laid one ax on the floor, picked up the rusty pot and walked back outside to the rear of the hut. As if her prayers had been answered, there was indeed a babbling brook not far away. When she reached it she tested the temperature with her big toe, almost immediately shrinking back from the freezing temperature.

"Okay Airi. You can do this. You have to do this."

She stooped down, placed her ax on the ground and filled the pot up halfway. Without hesitation Airi stood up and poured the freezing water over her head. She held back a scream as the freezing water ran over her body. She hated it. The cold water chilled her to the bone and caused goosebumps to appear across her smooth skin. But she rinsed herself several more times with gritted teeth and cursing under her breath until she felt clean enough.

With the soot and ash washed away, her beauty was truly something to behold. Her tanned skin was something not often seen in the feudal era and her silvery grey, wavy locks gathered about her shoulders. She squeezed the water from her side bangs as best she could and rang out the rest of her hair. Suddenly to her left on the other side of the brook she thought she heard something; it was a sound she didn't recognize. She pushed back her wet hair to get a better look, but she didn't see or hear anything else. She stood still for another minute, but chalked it up to her nerves fueling her imagination. Little did she know, how right she had been, for a spying saimyosho had flown off to report that she had indeed survived the fire. News that would most certainly brighten up a certain hanyou's day.

Airi, unaware of the looming danger, brushed off the occurrence. She returned to the safety of the hut with excitement practically radiating off of her. She tossed the pot and ax aside and knelt down and unfolded the clothes, which she soon discovered to be a rather deceitful pile of folded linens, consisting of only two articles of clothing. The first thing was a dark grey obi and that left only one other piece of fabric: a men's pair of hakama. And that was it. That was all she had to work with and she looked at the two things incredulously.

"What the hell? I couldn't be lucky enough to get a full outfit, could I? Some other person probably came along and took all the good stuff," she frowned, clearly disappointed. But she knew that moping about it wouldn't bring her forward, so she got started with trying to fashion a shirt out of the obi. First she tried to wrap it around her in layers like a bandeau top, but when she tried to move around, the layers would move apart exposing her body. She ran into a similar problem when she tried a one shoulder look. After spending 20 minutes on the obi and successfully securing it as a halter top, she stepped into the hakama and pulled it up to her waist. She looked down slowly at her bare legs in disbelief, "My whole life is a joke, isn't it?"

For some unknown reason, the previous owner of this hakama had cut them short. Perhaps he was often standing in water or maybe he was just crazy since this hut was on the outskirts of the village. But regardless of the reason, she was no longer sure if it was worse to be naked or wearing these clothes. It was true that they concealed her chest and nether regions, but in the feudal era, it was considered rather racy to be dressed in such a way. She wasn't able to secure the obi low enough so the sides of her hips were exposed and a good deal of her legs were showing since she was taller than the average man and the hakama were hacked off to begin with. "Oh well, it'll have to do," Airi sighed, with a glum expression on her face.

Next, she tried to think up a strategy to find a safe place to go, but her lack of knowledge of the area was crippling. She had been brought to the bandits' camp bound and blindfolded, at the age of 14. There were so many things she didn't know or understand about the world. And in her years of imprisonment, she was never allowed to leave the premises. Regardless, she knew she had to try. She only had one fear. That she would run into the very bandits she was finally free from. Tsuyoshi, her now deceased lover, had taught her how to use his double axes before Commander Shuu killed him, but hadn't had time to show her how to really survive in the wild. She was on her own, fighting to live another day and hoped that his spirit was at least looking out for her. Airi summoned all the courage she had left to walk out of that shabby hut with her head held high in her ridiculous outfit and towards what she hoped would be a better future.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Just thought I should throw in a quick "abusive smut warning."**

I do not own InuYasha or the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

 **Freedom isn't easy**

Airi had started off confident and proud as she strut through the forest, but hours later she had slowed to a meandering pace. Perhaps she placed too much hope in finding a village before sundown or in humanity itself. But she was slowly coming to the realization that she would have to take refuge all alone in the woods tonight. It was definitely a relief to be free, but it was also the first time in her life that she was completely alienated. And she couldn't help but find it a little unnerving.

Airi looked up at the sky to see the sun starting its descend to her right. Well at least now she knew where west was. She tried to determine which direction would be best to walk towards, but her bladder was making it difficult to think. She had to pee, badly, but she felt weird just squatting behind a tree somewhere. But her bladder was having none of it. She had to go….now. Airi laid her axes on the ground and walked around some bushes, but didn't like what was growing there. She didn't know what kind of plant it was, but somehow it looked sinister. So she walked over to another area, but found the same plant going there too. "Why am I like a cat? Why can't I just pee anywhere?" she complained aloud. She finally decided upon a bushy area where she could squat without having to fight off various vegetation. She stood up, feeling relieved and pulled up and secured her hakama shorts.

But her moment of relief was short lived, as she was seized from behind and placed in a choke hold. Immediately, her hands flew to the arm around her throat, but she couldn't pull that thick muscular arm away.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Airi stopped struggling for a second, as she recognized the raspy voice breathing in her ear. It couldn't be, she thought that all the bandits, who escaped would be long gone by now.

"No.."

"That's right. You might as well give up, right now," he taunted her.

"Let me _go_!" She squirmed and pulled, but her struggles were in vain. His surprise attack left her fighting just for air to breathe.

"What is it that they call this, Airi? Fate. Right?" He sneered before burying his nose in her wavy locks and inhaling deeply. "Ahh, that's good. You still smell like her."

"Damn Leiko and this stupid curse," she muttered under her breath.

"Boy, are we going to have some _fun_ tonight," he chuckled.

"Like _hell_ we are!" Airi tried her hardest to pull his arm away from her throat, but to no avail. Still, she didn't give up. She couldn't remember this particular bandit's name, but she knew of him. He and his older brother were always sent out first on raids. They were always together and always bad news. Their vile behavior was on the same level as the commander's and they were probably the closest thing to a friend to him. It was no secret that she had killed Commander Shuu and this guy's brother was surely lurking nearby. She knew she couldn't fight off both of them. She had to get out of there.

"Not before I get to repay you for almost setting me on fire last night," he sneered, tightening his grip. "I can see you dressed for the occasion. Now how sorry _are_ you for what you did?" She felt him shift around his other arm, the one not currently preoccupied with crushing her windpipe. He took his free hand and ran it over her chest, searching rather than caressing. His fingers finally found the triangle patch of bare skin right underneath her breasts. He hooked his sausage fingers under the fabric and roughly yanked up her makeshift shirt. Her carefully wrapped obi, didn't stand a chance and both of her breasts were easily exposed. She tried to use one arm to cover them, but he tightened his grip on her neck, forcing her to use both hands just to keep her airway open. She gulped for air, knowing that if she fainted, it was all over. "That's right you'll want to stay conscious for what comes next," he mocked her, pressing his body up against hers. She cringed at his touch and his body touching hers. His filthy hand was squeezing and pulling at her nipples and she tried to hold back the whimpers that escaped her lips. "Come on, let those screams out, bitch," he ordered, squeezing tighter.

"Fuck off bastard! _Ow_! Get the fuck _off_ of me!" She screamed, panic taking over now. It wasn't the first time he had assaulted her. She was the only regular female in the camp, not counting the women who were captured during raids. But even they were normally killed off pretty quickly after the men had had their fun. So the commander had been very generous with **_her_** body. However, now they had no restrictions on what they were allowed to do and her fears were not only consuming her, but completely justified.

In her struggles, she had not noticed the breaking of twigs or rustling of leaves as the man's brother approached, but his unmistakable deep voice was like the sound of impending doom. How was she ever going to be able to escape? She had stupidly wandered too far from her weapons, there was no one around in this secluded forest. She had to think of a plan or figure out a way to outsmart them. If not, she would be wishing for her death before the night was over.

"My, my, what has _fate_ brought our way, Jun?" The second man approached, eye fucking Airi as he trudged closer.

"See, I was right about fate, wasn't I?" The first brother hissed in Airi's ear. She couldn't believe that after escaping she had been caught by dumb and dumber.

"Well Airi, it seems you're supposed to pay for killing the commander. You can't just _take_ a life without repercussions. But I'm willing to take it easy on you, spare your life, for example. I'm a reasonable man with _reasonable_ needs," he grinned, all the while speaking to her breasts. "I can have my brother Jun here release you and _then,_ I tell you what you're going do and you say yes. How does that sound?" The second man was now standing in front of her. His breath was foul and when she didn't answer immediately, he flicked her nipple. "Hm?" He gave her a second chance to answer, but defiance had a hold on her soul and infected her like a drug. She knew better, she knew she was only going to make it worse, but she'd be damned if she just agreed to whatever they had in mind for her. So instead she aimed one knee at his groin, which he blocked like someone would swat away a fly.

"Hey Jiro, I think she needs a little more convincing first," Jun suggested, while tightening his arm around her throat.

"Bring her to her knees," the elder brother ordered. Either Jun was taking too long or Jiro's patience was just that thin and without warning the elder brother Jiro punched Airi in the stomach, causing her legs to give out. Jun, however didn't allow her to fall. He lunged forward letting her knees hit the ground and held her upright by her neck.

"That's more like it. That's where women belong," Jiro approved. "Since you won't answer me to my face, perhaps it'll be better if you say yes to my dick, you fucking whore," he belittled her, moving his hands under his armor.

Airi's eyes were squeezed shut. The wind was knocked out of her and the hit to the stomach was unexpected and felt like her insides were on fire. But Jun held her steady in the choke hold, so that she couldn't even double over in pain. She coughed from the blow and when she opened her eyes again she was met with Jiro's member in her face.

"What's your answer now, slut? Come on, open up wench," he jeered, waving it in her face. Airi turned her head away as much as she was able. "I said, open up!" He bellowed and suddenly Airi's face was tingling. Jiro had slapped her across the face. Her neck suffered also, because she wasn't able to turn her head from the force of his slap. Her vision was getting blurry and before she could collect herself, he hit her again. Now, tears ran down her face. She kept her eyes closed to keep herself from throwing up. If she had a plan she had long forgotten it. Maybe it was better off if she did pass out and then hope that she didn't wake up to any indecent acts being performed on her. But that was ridiculous, for she could clearly picture what they would do to her once she was unconscious. Yet again, Jiro's patience was non-existent and he smacked her again. She was really struggling to breathe now. Her grip on Jun's arm was loosening and her stomach was in so much pain or maybe it was a broken rib. And this time, involuntarily she opened her mouth to gasp for air, but instead of receiving air to her lungs a dick was shoved in her mouth.

"Ha ha, there you go! I knew you wanted it!" Jiro shouted, forcing his dick to the back of her throat. She gagged, but he didn't let up. "If you want to live….now is a fucking good time to say yes," he said with seething hatred in his voice. Airi knew that she couldn't defy him in this moment. For if she did, he would surely kill her.

She didn't need a visual to accompany such a memory so she didn't dare open her eyes. And reluctantly….she nodded, breaking her pride into a million pieces.

Jiro nodded to his brother and he released Airi, but Jiro held her up by her hair and continued to thrust back and forth in her mouth, until he finished. Lastly, he rammed the back of her throat for good measure before pulling out.

"That's a good girl, know your place," Jun bragged, patting her on the head.

Airi fell on her hands coughing, gasping and spitting out as much cum as she could. And as she silently cried she thought how it was strange how a little bit of fresh air could change her mind about putting her life in danger again. She had a plan. She just needed to defy him again.

"Now, for my turn. I just need to get something. Watch her," Jun told his brother. He wasn't gone long and she could hear his footsteps reapproaching. She hadn't attempted to get up, but glanced up to see him carrying a rope.

That was the last thing she needed.

Jiro reached down and grabbed her arm, "Get up."

"No!" And she tried to wrench her arm away, but he had a good grip on her arm, his face redder than an apple.

"How dare you defy me! You obviously didn't learn your lesson! I said all I wanted to hear from you was yes!" Jiro bellowed, shaking her violently. "I'll kill you!" And in his anger, he threw her to the ground, unsheathed his sword and swung. Airi closed her eyes, knowing she couldn't dodge it, but the blow never came. She peeked up and he was standing there, still in mid-swing.

His face was all screwed up.

Dumbfounded, just like the commander, she realized. She didn't know how, but he had been struck. He tumbled backwards and fell on his back. There was no time to question it. Without wasting any time she scrambled to her feet and grabbed his sword. Jun had thrown down the rope and was charging at her.

"You bitch, how dare you kill my brother!" He was fierce, but she was faster. She side jumped his first swing of his sword and came back around to slash his arm. The very arm that he used to choke her. He lunged at her, but she managed to block his blow. He lost his footing and in that moment Airi drove his own brother's sword through him.

She watched him take his last breath and was again plunged into the quiet serenity of the forest. She looked around her, between the trees but didn't spot her mystery savior. "Hello, is anyone there?" She questioned, feeling foolish. She could feel someone still watching her, but decided not to linger. The quicker she left that place, the better. She traced back to where she left her weapons, readjusted her obi halter top and took off at a run. Who would go through the trouble to save her and then stay hidden? She didn't like it.

And as soon as Airi retreated deeper into the woods, a red and white fan slipped back into the shadows.

* * *

Airi walked until the sky was painted pink and orange by the fading sun. Her feet hurt and were torn up from the lack of shoes and her arms were tired from carrying the heavy axes. It probably would've been smart to have taken some clothes or shoes from 'dumb and dumber', but she didn't want anything to do with them. She was fortunate enough not to run into anyone else, but she was tired, bruised, hungry and cold. She walked over to a bush with deep red berries on it and she contemplated whether or not to eat them, but then she recalled that some could be quite poisonous and decided otherwise. Completely spent, she sat down and nestled herself against the trunk of a tree.

"It would be a shame to die after all this, just because I ate something wrong," she spoke to herself. "Not to mention I can barely swallow." She rubbed her throat, her hand resting on the thin orange necklace there. Her mother's necklace. It's been with her through all the terrible things she's experienced. And it didn't break from the force of being choked, even if it did cut into her neck a little. This necklace was strong and special. She had a feeling that her mother gave it to her for a reason. Her father instructed her to never take it off. And in that moment she resolved to be just as strong as it.

As the sky darkened Airi slipped in and out of sleep and from one nightmare to the next. During one particular nightmare she woke up with a start to find beady red eyes staring at her from a distance. Fear shot through her like being stabbed with a hot iron stake. She may be naive, but she knew that only demons had red eyes and she's only ever fought humans off.

She stayed frozen, eyes locked with whatever predator was looking for a midnight snack. And then suddenly, the eyes disappeared. She let out a small scream and tried to grip the handle of her axes, but only found one. It was much too dark to worry about the other one. She heard rustling in the bushes across from her. Frantically, she tried to remember what the landscape looked like in front of her. Was there a tree across from her or just bushes? Her mind raced betraying the age old fact that she needed to remain calm. She still hadn't spotted those beady eyes again, but then behind her she heard more rustling.

She spent the rest of the night flinching at sounds that seemed too close to her and looking everywhere in the darkness for things she couldn't see. Exhausted by daybreak, she finally fell back asleep. Airi was quickly finding out that her new found freedom had many bumps in the road, some good and some bad. One of which, would wake her up tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own InuYasha or the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

 **Rebuilding**

"I watched the whole thing Kagura."

" _Ey_ , I bet you did," Kagura teased.

"Why did you interfere?" Naraku said, ignoring her snide remark.

"I thought you needed her alive," she answered, her hand on her hip as she leaned against the doorway.

"I think if you would've waited, I could've _had_ what I wanted by now," he said, shooting her a sharp look.

He was definitely after something, "And what _is_ that exactly?"

But Naraku only glanced at her with his typical, 'you don't get to ask questions look' and went on.

"I'm sending Kanna this time," he said before turning his back on her.

Kagura walked out, thankful for the dismissal. She herself, wasn't exactly sure why she had helped Airi. Perhaps, the wind sorceress found the girl's situation relatable. Kagura wasn't free like she wanted to be. But in order for her to escape Naraku, it would take a lot more than just cutting down a couple of bandits. Kagura scowled as she walked down the deserted hallway, thinking about how she would change places with her in a second. In a her eyes, Airi had it easy.

* * *

"Genzo-sama! Genzo-sama! Where are you?" A voice called in the distance. Airi struggled to open her eyes, her lids so heavy. She thought perhaps whoever it was, might pass by without noticing her.

"Quiet down Ken, I'm not far," a voice much too close to her answered.

Clearly alarmed by the close proximity of the man's voice, she forced her eyes open and saw sandaled feet and the bottom of dark robes before her. She sat up, pain shooting through her side, but nonetheless tightened her grip on her weapons. Somehow, she felt that he had been standing there for a while. The man was bald with the bushiest set of eyebrows she'd ever seen, almost like wings trying to take off from his grey eyes. His round stature suggested that he wasn't fast nor did he look dangerous, but she didn't care. After yesterday's degrading display of what men were capable of, she was by no means ready to start trusting random strangers.

One more step and she would smash his legs.

The man seemed to sense her aggressiveness and unease, but didn't withdraw. "Shh, child. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to _help_ you," he said calmly extending a hand out to her.

Airi didn't respond, but took the opportunity to study his body language. He wasn't blushing, which meant that either her inappropriate apparel didn't bother him or he had already taken in a good view. But somewhere deep inside she knew it was the first. In fact, he looked at her with a gentleness, a genuine care for her well-being, as a father would look concerned for his child. But before she came to a decision, a rustling of the bushes reminded her of the second person. She cautiously took her eyes off the man in front of her to search for the other stranger drawing near. In spite of the pain, she craned her neck and spotted a young boy, maybe 10 years of age, fighting against the bushes as he made his way towards them. He was also dressed like the man, but unlike him, the boy had a full head of dark, short hair and brown eyes. He had a small chin giving his face a distinct boyish charm.

"Oh Genzo-sama, there you are." He ran towards them once he was free of the last clinging shrub and was completely oblivious to Airi until he was practically standing a foot in front of her.

His mouth fell open and the words of his next sentence stuttered out of his mouth in a string of consonants. Airi observed his reaction to her. He blushed uncontrollably at her scantily clad figure and provocative clothing. He noticed how her eyes were exhausted yet alert. But what he lingered over was her badly cut up feet and the dark bruises that stretched across her face and neck. Airi's annoyance showed clearly on her face as he stared at her for much longer than what would be considered polite. When he finally took the hint, he lowered his eyes, but his face remained red, "Sh..Shouldn't we be he..heading back to the sh..shrine?" he sputtered.

The older man ignored the boy's reaction to Airi and addressed her again with the same genuine smile and extended hair. "Yes, we should, would you like to come with us?" he offered again, "It's not far."

Her green eyes rested on the young boy a moment longer before she made up her mind. Hesitantly, she reached out and took the monk's hand. She knew she needed help or at the very least food and if they tried anything funny, she'd kill them. She stood up, her height seeming to impress the boy further, but the old man just continued to smile.

"Now then. I'm Monk Genzo and this is Ken. And what lovely name have you been graced with?"

Airi couldn't help but smile back at his kind and gentle manner. "My name is Airi," she answered shyly.

"Airi, it's a pleasure to meet you my dear," Genzo beamed, bowing to her respectfully, with Ken following suit. A little surprised by their greeting, she bowed quickly in return as to not appear rude. "It's this way," the monk gestured.

Ken reached down to retrieve her axes, but she beat him to it, wincing as she did. He looked at her surprised.

" _I'll_ carry them," she said in a threatening tone.

Any random person could take a quick look at Airi and know that she had just gone through quite an ordeal and wouldn't be likely to trust anyone so easily. Ken looked to the monk for guidance, but he only smiled.

The boy cast his eyes away from her gaze as he thought. In his mind, resurfaced a proverb that the monk often said to him: 'Even the smallest kindness shall not be forgotten.' And much to the monk's approval, Ken knelt down, removed his sandals and offered them to her. "If you will not allow me to help carry your burden, please wear these sandals to help you carry them instead."

Airi's mouth fell open for a second, his generosity incomprehensible at first. He interpreted her silence as permission and gently slipped the sandals on for her.

"So, shall we?" The monk gestured again and the three of them made their way through the woods to a hidden shrine.

* * *

When they arrived at the shrine, Airi was persistent about carrying at least one ax around with her at all times. She wasn't going to make the same mistake she made yesterday.

The monk appeared understanding, while Ken immediately protested how disrespectful it was, "You _can't_ just _carry_ weapons around…" But the monk interrupted him, "Ken can you go get the garments and meet us in the guest wing?"

"Oh sure, no problem," he mouthed off, walking backwards away from them. "I have no problem walking around our super _safe_ home without _weapons_!"

Airi, out of spite, stuck her tongue out at him and ignored his complaints, because she could care less about how it made him feel. Ken grew even more aggravated by her childish behavior and rolled his eyes before turning his back on them.

One entered the shrine into a large room with a buddha and other ceremonial items within it. And opposite the front door was a back door. To the left in the center of the shrine was a small room for preparing meals. On both sides of the small kitchen were short hallways leading to sleeping rooms. The one in the front of the house was where Monk Genzo and Ken slept and the other in the back of the house was for guests.

"I know it's not much, but I hope you will feel at home while you're here. If you'd like to bathe, there is a pond not far from here, which happens to be warmer than the average pond. I think you might like it. Ken can show you where it is." The monk noticed Airi's quick glance at her attire, or lack there of. "If it is to your liking, I had Ken retrieve some clothes for you. And if you're up to it you would honor us greatly if you would join us for dinner tonight."

She noticed how he worded everything in a way that allowed her to choose rather than being ordered around. It was such a small gesture to help her feel more comfortable, but she appreciated it. "Thank you, I would be happy to join you," she bowed, showing her gratitude for the first time.

Airi followed Ken out the rear of the building and down a winding, terraced path. She noticed that he had retrieved a pair of sandals for himself. She assumed that meant that she could keep the ones he gave her. Perhaps he wasn't so bad after all. When they reached the water she could see that a stream flowed in from the opposite side of where they stood and ran out on the other end. And even though there were trees surrounding the pond, it still managed to get a good amount of sunlight.

Ken didn't say anything as she took in her surroundings and as usual his eyes watched her for too long.

"Eh hem," she coughed, bringing him out of whatever fantasy he was having.

"I..I'll leave you then," the boy bowed, placing her garments and a towel on a nearby stone before returning the way they came.

Airi absentmindedly slipped off the sandals and laid her ax on the ground reluctantly. Bathing during her imprisonment had happened rarely and was often cold and unpleasant. She removed the obi and hakama and stepped into the pool of water. The monk was right, it was warmer than normal.

It had been far too long since she had daydreamed about anything. But the warm water reminded her of stories about hot springs that she'd heard of as a child and wondered if that was something she would be able to experience now that she was free. The thought alone made her smile. And although she had taken her steps towards freedom a few days ago, she finally felt like she could choose her own fate. The monk had said to feel at home while she was there, but that also meant that she would have to decide where to go from there, and when. That was a decision she hadn't thought about in years or at least not alone. But Tsuyoshi was dead, she had to make it on her own, so she asked herself a string of questions that she never thought to ask herself before.

 _What am I going to do now that I'm free?  
_ _Maybe I could try to find my village, my home, but what will my father think?  
_ _Will he even accept me?  
The only thing I can offer him is shame. His first daughter ruined and defiled by a group of bandits._

She shivered at the thought and undeniable disappointment that would clearly be engraved upon her father's face. Any man who would take her now would undoubtedly have questionable morals, resulting in her as a burden to her father. "Maybe it's best to forget," she sighed, the pressure of making a decision, weighing on her.

Before climbing out of the water she caught her reflection on the water's surface. Swollen, dark bruises ran around her neck and cheeks. She raised her hand up to press against the puffy skin under her eyes. It didn't hurt as bad anymore, but her ribs and feet still ached. A darkness flashed across her eyes as she thought about how she received those bruises. But then she quickly buried those feelings and stepped out of the water.

Airi used the small handmade towel to dry off and squeeze out the water from her hair. She unfolded the first item of clothing, which was a cream colored kosode with bordeaux colored flowers on it. She thought it was quite pretty and elegant for a kosode. The second item was a bordeaux colored wrap skirt, matching the flowers on her kosode. Neatly dressed and clean, she smiled to herself, as she slipped on the sandals Ken gave her. He really was a sweet kid, she thought. Her smile brightened even more when she stooped down to retrieve her ax and started walking back up to the shrine. Somehow being around the two of them had healed some part of her soul.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to MorikoTheHalfAngel for knowing her Inu/feudal era facts. Check out her stories, she's awesome. Just a reminder, Airi's inner monologues are italicized.

 **Gathering survival skills**

Monk Genzo sat very still, fully emerged in reading the energies around him. He could feel Ken's energy in the other end of the shrine. He was a happy boy, maybe a little short tempered, but he was sure and confident in his decisions. He extended his search further and found an energy that was often in conflict with itself. It was the same energy that drew him into the forest, on that very morning. When calm it could be a lovely greenish blue aura full of thoughtfulness and a willingness to help, but worry and fear were frequently lurking by the surface. It turned the aura so dark, that it was almost black. And that could _indeed_ , be very toxic. It was a wonder that Airi was capable of possessing an aura that changed so often and with such intensity. The monk continued to focus on her energy, noticing how her aura changed once again, as guilt washed over her. Out of the blue, he had an intriguing idea that he wanted to try out. "Come in child, you're not disturbing me," the monk reassured her.

Airi was in the middle of sliding the door shut again, "I'm sorry Genzo-sama. I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"Nonsense. Please, come in. I have a feeling that you might find what I'm doing very interesting." Monk Genzo had a hunch that she could read energies without miko abilities. She was afterall, a most unusual human.

"Um, okay." She entered the room, laid her ax against the wall and slid the door shut.

"Sit next to me," he instructed.

Airi walked to the monk's side, kneeled down and sat on her heels. She glanced over at him, noticing his posture and hand positions. "Are you meditating?" she asked.

"Yes. But I'm also reading the energies around me," he said.

"Reading energies?" She questioned, her curiosity peaked.

"Think of it as reading body language, but with your eyes closed. What you see with your eyes can trick your mind. Every living thing and person has an aura made up of a spectrum. But normally there is one color that stands out the most. And the more you concentrate on it, the deeper you can read into it and understand that person or living thing's aura and feelings," the monk explained.

"Uh, I don't think I can do that," she said.

The knowledge of multiple proverbs for different purposes was sort of a hobby for him. He quite liked the effect they had. "If you try, you may succeed, if you don't try, you will not succeed," he recited.

Airi twisted her lips to the side as she thought about what he said. The monk sat quietly, eyes still closed awaiting her decision. He could feel her aura changing colors as she allowed what _should_ be a simple decision to bring her center into turmoil.

"Okay, I'll try it," she said determined, thinking that it may prove useful one day.

"Fantastic. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. It's very similar to meditating. You want to allow yourself to be open to the energies around you. And in order to do that you have to relax, but also be alert at the same time," the monk clarified.

"Well, _now_ it sounds more difficult," Airi peeked over at him.

"Then tell yourself, it's easy," Monk Genzo chuckled. He was quite sure that she was able to read energies without meditating. But to be certain, he went through the necessary steps that a beginner miko would need to do. They sat quietly for a while, focusing on their natural breathing patterns, before Monk Genzo broke the silence. "Airi, what do you feel? What's the closest energy that you feel or see?"

"I feel….I feel someone warm. It feels like it's pulling at me," she answered, speaking slowly as she tried to find the right words.

 _She already knows that the energy is a person, the monk thought._ "Good, focus on that energy. Is there a color associated with the energy?"

"Um…. it's...it's purple. Purplish blue actually."

"That's amazing. Now can you feel where it is? Is it close to you or far away?

"Well, I don't know," she paused for a minute to figure it out. "It's… it's close. Wait, it's you," she realized.

"That's correct. Now that you've practiced on me, can you locate any other energies?"

"Um, there's a warmer energy not far away and it's orange." She was quiet for a moment concentrating on the new energy. "Hey it's Ken and I think he's bringing," she sniffed the air, "... _food_!" Her eyes sprung open in excitement. Gosh was she starving.

The monk was completely amazed by how precise she could be on the first try. She wasn't a miko, but somehow she was able to read energies like it was natural. There was something really different about her and he just couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Just as she predicted, Ken walked into the room with two bowls of vegetable soup.

"Can I help you?" Airi stood up and took the bowls from him and set them on the Chabudai*(short legged traditional Japanese table).

"Thanks. I just need to get the last bowl and the tea," he said, rushing down the hallway.

Airi thoroughly enjoyed lunch. She almost knocked the table over in excitement when Ken asked her if she would like seconds. The bath and new clothes were nice and all, but food was essential. The monk observed Airi's relaxed air around Ken and thought it would be a good idea for her to spend more time with him. "Ken I believe we're getting low on some of our herbs. Why don't you go and pick more? You could take Airi with you. Airi, you said this morning that you'd like to learn more about plants, right? Ken is very knowledgeable," Monk Genzo suggested.

"As long as I can bring my axes," Airi joked.

"Are you kidding?! We're going into the woods. You _better_ bring a weapon," Ken looked at her surprised. Airi giggled, it was a sweet sound. And it made him blush.

Ken and Airi walked along a slightly worn path, which she assumed they frequented to pick herbs. They didn't speak at first, the air between them awkward without the priest's presence. "So what is it you want to know about plants?" Ken finally asked.

"Well, I don't really know... _anything_ ," she admitted. "How about which plants are edible and which ones aren't?"

"Okay."

With a specific task in mind, Ken was very talkative and pointed out which plants to avoid and which ones were optimal for eating and healing. Airi really had to concentrate to remember everything he said. Mainly, she tried to remember which plants to avoid and then the rest she could experiment with later. After some time he led them through some high brush to show her the difference in leaves between two plants that were easily confused: one was deadly and the other was edible. "The one with the jagged edged leaves is poisonous and the one with rounded edges could be crushed up and used as a remedy for headaches.

"That's awesome, but you're right they're very similar. Thanks for taking the time to show me all this today," she said.

"Yo...you're welcome," sputtered Ken, taken aback by her kind praise. He stared at her while she examined the differences in the leaves further and finally gathered his courage to tell her what had been on his mind since he first met her. "By the way, I'm glad you left him," Ken said quietly.

" _Left_ him?" Airi turned to him dumbfounded. "Oh, you mean the bruises," she realized, absentmindedly running her left hand over her cheek.

"You heal pretty fast, the bruises are already fading," he comforted her. "My mom was abused by my dad, but when I got older I protected her." Ken paused, hesitant about what he wanted to say next. "If you stayed here...I could protect you!" he blurted out.

Whilst flattered by his offer and at the same time startled by his eagerness, she resorted to teasing. "How old are again, ten?"

"No! I'm thirteen!" He protested.

She giggled.

But Ken didn't blush this time. He sat in silence with his fists balled up, frustrated by her lack of confidence in him. His gaze was focused upon his lap until she placed her hand on his, causing him to look over at her. She locked eyes with him, trying to find the right words. She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings.

"That's sweet of you to offer, but I can't stay here," she said gently.

He was suddenly itching to tell her how pretty her eyes were, but fought the impluse and pleaded for an answer instead, "Why not?"

She placed her hand back in her own lap and averted her eyes. How was a 13 year old kid making her feel so guilty? She didn't know what to say. She didn't want to explain how she got the bruises and that she had killed the men who inflicted them. Airi had already decided on what to do next and staying at the shrine was not a part of that plan. She wanted to let him down easy, without causing more problems, but his emotions were easily triggered. She blamed that on puberty. Airi closed her eyes while she thought.

"Airi?" Ken touched the back of her hand.

"Wait," she hushed him. "There's something coming."

"What? Where?" Ken looked around, but didn't find anything threatening.

She furrowed her brows, forcing herself to focus on all the energies around her, like the monk had taught her. The brightest energy was Ken's: warm, cheerful and orange. But there was another. It was further away and almost felt hot, like it could burn her. It was red, angry and dangerous and she was quite certain that it wasn't human. Airi gasped at her realization and opened her eyes, "I think. I think it's a demon."

Ken didn't second guess her, "Where is it coming from?"

She pointed directly in front of her, "From there."

"Good. We have time to set up a trap... over there. Can you distract it while I do that?" Ken looked to the side of him but Airi was no longer there. She had already started to retreat, but stopped short at his suggestion of taking on the demon. The shock of it all caused her to trip over her own feet.

"Uh…. We aren't going to like... _leave_ before it gets here?" She asked, her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"At the shrine, it's our job to protect this area. If _we_ don't do it, _no one_ will. We are on our own. Now are you going to _help me_ or not?"

For a kid, he sure had some mood swings. One minute he was sweet and doteful and the next he was brave and bossy. But hell if she'd let him one up her. Airi stood up straight, "Okay, I'll help."

Ken's annoyed expression faded into an approving smile, "Alright you're the bait while I set up the trap. Do you think you can do that?"

* * *

 _This_ kid. How can he say that so lightly, thought Airi.  
 _One minute he's offering to protect me and the next he's throwing me out for demon fodder. Well, here goes nothing._


	6. Chapter 6

**Do or Die**

Airi tried to set her stance, which was near impossible in her new kosode and skirt. She rolled her eyes at the irony and set her axes quickly on the ground. She turned her back to Ken and untied the wrap skirt. She tossed it over her shoulder and loosened her kosode, creating a gap down the center of her body, giving her legs free movement again. Then, she took the wrap skirt and tied it above her bosom, which still allowed her a fair range of motion. At least she would have a better chance at survival. Airi grabbed her axes again, set her stance and mentally prepared for whatever a fight against a demon was supposed to be like.

"Wha.. What are you doing?!" Ken shouted at her, his face red as a tomato.

She knew she looked ridiculously indecent to his virgin eyes, but this was not the time for him to be all noble. Besides, it was better than the outfit he first saw her in. "Look, there's a _difference_ between being the bait or being fodder. Speaking of which...are you done over there yet or what?"

Ken flinched and went back to work.

"Hmm mm, that's what I thought," she mumbled.

Airi felt the ground tremor beneath her feet, "So, out of curiosity...how long do you need, exactly?" She tried her best to mask her nervousness.

"Uh, as long as possible," he said, while pulling out a rope from his pouch.

"And if that's _not_ possible, what's plan B?" she asked.

Ken looked up again to check how far away the demon was. "There isn't one. Just don't die, okay."

Airi didn't hold her tongue this time,"You're fucking ridiculous."

"That's not proper language for a wo…"

"Just get back to work!" she hollered. "You nagging brat," she muttered under her breath.

As the ground shook violently, Airi's fear spread through her like wildfire. Her breath hitched in her throat and her adrenaline pumped into her legs, urging her to flee. And if the axes weren't so heavy, her hands would've be shaking as well. She could barely make out the figure running full speed towards them, but it soon became clear and it was indeed a demon. A ram demon to be exact. The beast's eyes burned red with a wrath she'd rather avoid. Its horns were curled along the side of its head, giving it extra protection. Its hind legs pounded the earth with such force, that one kick from them would surely break her bones and she doubted she could outrun it. Not to mention the complete muscular upper body that clearly outmatched her strength. The beast was built to destroy. How the fuck was she supposed to defeat such a powerful force? Her only hope was Ken's contraption and her mediocre survival skills.

It took no time at all for the demon to close the distance between them. With the length of time and speed with which the demon ran at, combined with its momentum, would surely send her flying if she received a direct hit. And before it was too late, she leapt out of the way.

The demon slid quite a ways in order to stop. It rounded on her, its eyes narrowing menacingly, "So, my dinner wants to fight huh? This shall be interesting."

She didn't know where she mustered the courage from, but the words rolled off her tongue like a confident demon slayer. "Don't you think it's a bit early for dinner? You can wind up with an upset stomach, you know."

"Oh _and_ advice. I don't know what I hate more, dinner that I have to work for or my dinner telling me what to do," it snarled.

"Well, that list seems a little short to me. So after this you can add dinner that you don't get to eat," she snapped back.

"I, Katsu, will not lose!" He bellowed, digging his hooves into the ground.

"Katsu, huh? Of course your name means victory," Airi rolled her eyes. "I guess it's time to rewrite history then." Inside she was panicking, but on the outside she was calm and sassy.

Katsu prepared to charge again, his hooves pounding the earth brutally.

"I guess we're done talking then," she sighed, realizing the time to stand and fight had come.

She wanted to find out just how well his horns protected his head. If she could find a weakness there and knock him out somehow, then it would end things rather quickly. She held out her right arm and aimed at Katsu. Before now, she had only ever practiced throwing axes on a stationary target. Knowing the right moment to release the ax required practice and time. Both of which she didn't have. Suddenly, she felt a burst of energy, coming from Katsu right when he began running at her. She leaned back, raised her elbow up and then threw the ax at him. The handle left her hand with a woosh sound and the ax somersaulted through the air. Airi watched the blade make direct contact with his right horn. But it went flying off to the side, as Katsu rammed it away with a flick of his head. Without breaking stride, Katsu continued his attack, nostrils flaring. She made a mental note where her ax landed before switching the ax in her left hand to her right. Well, she knew she couldn't cut off parts of his horns at least, but that still left her with the main problem: how to defeat him. Airi knew very well that her chances of winning were slim, but she wasn't going down without a fight.

When the demon was only a few feet away she dodged out of the way again, but this time she swung her ax behind her, catching his backside. She figured he wouldn't be able to change his direction fast enough to avoid such an attack. And a loud roar confirmed her suspicions.

Ken looked up when he heard the loud protest. He knew he had to hurry. Katsu's rage would only make him more dangerous. Time was not on their side, since Ken's trap was dependant on Monk Genzo's presence. But Ken was sure that the monk must have felt the disturbance in the air and would already be on his way. He was almost done, but the tricky part was luring the demon inside it. It wasn't necessarily a secret what he was building. Ropes were strung from one tree to another forming a circular enclosure, but given the fact that they were hanging in mid air, there was no way to guarantee that Katsu would be stupid enough to enter it.

Meanwhile, Airi kept up her strategy of dodging first and then swinging, making small cuts in his flesh. She wasn't always successful though. She had taken a hit from his thick arm when he swung behind him to thwart her attacks. If she had been a tad bit slower, she would've been knocked out instead of escaping with a bruised shoulder. But she couldn't keep it up forever.

Airi glanced over to Ken's location. She had at least managed to lead Katsu away from the boy so he could build without interruptions, but he wasn't giving her any signs of being finished yet. She was breathing hard, while Katsu, seemingly unaffected by her attempts, prepared to charge again. She had no choice but to keep fighting. This time she managed to duck out of the way, but couldn't get in a swing. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ken waving his arms at her.

"Finally."

She doubted that the whole trap idea would work. Airi turned and darted for Ken's location, but Katsu didn't follow. She knew it, he wasn't that stupid.

She tried egging him on again, "You know, I'm starting to feel bad for you. With this workout you really should eat something, however you're too slow to catch me." Katsu's nostrils flared and he roared madly. "But that's okay if you're ready to give up, but in that case your name should be changed," she mocked him.

"That's it I'm tired of playing games with you!"

That's the spirit she was looking for. Airi pivoted and ran. But her fatigue finally caught up with her and she wasn't going to make it all the way back to Ken. She jumped out of the way of Katsu's new-found wrath, but came up short and the demon's fist came slamming down on the side of her head. Airi's legs gave out and she toppled over to the side.

"Ha, ha ha. I, Katsu, can not lose," laughed the ram demon.

"Airi! No!" shouted Ken. He came running towards them, hurling rocks at the demon as he did.

"You might as well give up now, boy," he chuckled, the rocks bouncing off of him, as if they were bubbles.

"Never!"

The demon obviously didn't take his poor attempts seriously. Ken tried kicking and hitting him, but Katsu only laughed out of amusement, but even that didn't last long. "It's not funny anymore, boy," Katsu said and reached out and grabbed Ken by the throat. Katsu easily lifted him off the ground, squeezing the boy's airway. Ken struggled against the giant fist wrapped around his neck, but he was too weak. It was like a fly trying to take on horse. Disgusted by the weakling Katsu threw him to the ground. Ken's head hit a rock protruding out from the ground and he felt warm blood trickle down the side of his head. But he ignored it. He had vowed to protect Airi and he was going to keep his promise.

He crawled over to her side and saw her chest rising with every breath. "She's still alive, thank you Kami." It was up to him to save them. Without wasting any more time, Ken took the ax from Airi's slack grip. Recklessly, he swung it back and forth to keep Katsu from advancing. But Katsu's tolerance for the boy was already low and he attempted to snatch the ax away from him. Unfortunately for him, the blade got lodged in between his fingers. That was just the distraction he needed. Immediately, Ken released the ax and ran back to Airi. He wriggled his hands under her back and arms and started dragging her backwards.

"This is over!" Katsu bellowed, wrenching the ax out of his hand and tossing it aside, "You're dead!" And with that, he charged for the last time. Ken struggled to hasten his pace and he was almost within the enclosure, but Katsu wasn't slowing down. He meant to trample them.

"There's no one to trigger your trap now boy. It's over!" Katsu lowered his head to deliver the final blow, just as Ken got them both completely within the circle. Ken collapsed from exhaustion, Airi's limp body fell to the ground and just as Katsu reached them, a force hurtled him backwards.

Katsu was thrown through the air and landed several yards away from them. A look of confusion and bewilderment was plastered on the demon's face. But when he looked closely, he understood.

"Why you little.." snarled Katsu. He was instantly back on his feet and tried again but to no avail. He roared out of frustration. Instead of a trap, Ken had set up a barrier. And instead of trapping Katsu within it, he used it to keep him out. He was, afterall, a clever boy.

The blood from Ken's head wound started to drip onto his shoulder and he was getting lightheaded. But he fought to remain conscious until he knew for sure that Airi was out of harm's way. Katsu repeatedly struck the barrier trying to get to them, but Ken didn't pay it any mind. He crawled over to Airi's side again and stroked the side of her face. "See I promised. I kept my promise," he whispered, "...to keep you safe. I told you I could do it. Tears were threatening to roll down his cheeks. "But now it's your turn, you have to open your eyes. You have to be okay." He looked up at the sky and tried to blink his tears away, but they only rolled down his face. "Please Kami, I could die happy if I could only seeing those beautiful green eyes again. I don't want to lose someone else I care about. I'd give anything to….," he sobbed, unable to finish. Suddenly, he felt a hand touch his knee and he looked down to meet the calm, cool eyes he desired to look into. "You're okay!"

"Yes," she said, her voice raspy.

"I'm so glad. We did it," he smiled brightly, his face still wet from his tears.

Airi sat up to see Katsu still making a ruckus outside of the barrier. "Well….sort of," she said.

"Don't worry, Genzo-sama will be here soo..."

"Ken! You're bleeding," she cut him off, alarmed.

"It's fine, it's just a scratch."

"No, it's not," she said firmly, her hands reaching for the bottom of her wrap skirt.

"No, use mine instead."

Hesitantly, she took hold of the bottom of his robes and ripped a strip of cloth from it. The air between them felt intimate to her, somehow. He was growing tenser by the moment as her fingers gently wrapped the cloth around his head. He leaned forward unexpectedly and she grew nervous, as his face came too close to hers. But before she could say anything, he fell onto her. Airi tried to prop him up, but without much success. She scooted backwards and placed his head on her lap. He was after all just a young boy, at least in her eyes. He reminded her a little of her half-brothers back home.

In the distance, she saw a shadow move in between the trees. But she wasn't afraid for she knew who it was. Katsu had also noticed the man, but it was too late. Airi heard words she didn't understand accompanied with an extremely bright light. She shielded her eyes and when she opened them again Katsu the ram demon was nowhere to be found. It was an impressive power. She had heard rumors of monks and mikos slaying demons, but had never witnessed it personally.

Monk Genzo seemed to walk up to her as if he was out for a casual stroll. "Is he okay?"

"Yes, it's a mild head wound. But it should be cleaned and wrapped properly. I can carry him back."

"You?"

"Yes, he's not that heavy, but if you could retrieve my axes, I would be grateful,"

"Even at a time like this, you think about weapons? Weapons that can cause the same type of harm he suffered?" he asked.

"Yes, especially at times like this. If I remain weak, the people around me will only get hurt." And without another word, Airi stooped down low and used Ken's arms to pull him onto her back.


	7. Chapter 7

**An overstayed welcome**

When the three of them returned to the shrine, the monk tended to Ken's head injury and administered some medication to lessen the pain. Airi used the opportunity to retreat to the garden and process everything that happened. Her first fight with a demon had been a real eye opener. She had a lot of disadvantages, as would any human, but she did learn a few things. They had short tempers, were extremely strong and slow, if they have a bulky build. But she knew there were also demons that disguised themselves as humans. They were the utmost dangerous type and should be avoided at all costs. Hopefully, her newfound ability to read energies would help her avoid demons while she traveled.

An hour went by, in which she grew restless. She didn't understand it, for she was safe at the shrine. Ken and Monk Genzo had proven themselves to be trustworthy and had even put themselves in harm's way to protect her. And if she was being honest with herself, she rather enjoyed their company. It had been many years since she was able to enjoy such pleasant company. Ken did do some weird things from time to time, but he was only a kid. However, her gut feelings had never let her down before. Although she had plans to leave the shrine after a few more days passed, her subconscious was urging her to move on that night.

Ken was a little groggy from the medicine the monk gave him, so Airi reheated and served the soup leftover from that afternoon's meal. With Ken still drowsy and the monk quiet and still, there wasn't much in the way of conversation during dinner.

"I think it would be best, if we _all_ turn in early tonight," Monk Genzo suggested, without protests from Ken and Airi. It had been an extremely long day for her after all. The day before she had still been wandering around without proper clothing and then attacked by bandits, followed by a sleepless night. Only to be woken up the next morning by two strange men and to top it all off, a fight with a demon for the first time in her life. If she was competing for a world record of craziest shit to happen in one day, she would win by a landslide. Although she was thankful for the new clothes and food she received from Monk Genzo and Ken, all she wanted to do now was be left alone and sleep. It was long overdue.

After dinner she retired to the guest room. When she entered the room and slid the door closed behind her, the room transformed into a small sanctuary. For the past three years of her life she had been sleeping on the cold, dirty ground and what most people considered simple possessions were like priceless gifts to her. There was a white cotton sleeping yukata folded up on a low piece of furniture and a thin layer of bedding on the floor with a blanket draped over it. It was so much more than anything she had had in a long time. And she stood there appreciating it for a moment longer. Airi couldn't wait to get into bed. First, she laid her axes on the far side of the room, but within arm's reach of the bed. Then she undressed, folded her garments neatly and placed them next to the yukata. She picked up the yukata, which was made out of rather thin material, but it didn't matter. It was clean and felt nice and smooth on her skin. She turned down the covers and slid under them. A pure, childish smile spread across Airi's face and a quiet giggled escaped her lips. She closed her eyes, wanting to savor that moment and that feeling forever, lest she forget again that such things were possible. But as calm and comfortable as she felt, her nervousness and anxiety was competing against it. She hoped that whatever was causing her uneasiness, could at least wait until morning. And with that thought in mind, she quickly fell asleep.

"Airi! Airi wake up! Airi!" Someone shouted at her. "Airi, you're dreaming! You're safe here!"

Sure enough a nightmare had taken a hold on her well deserved sleep. In her dream, Airi was trying to escape something or someone. But she had been captured and had just suffered the loss of her left arm from a man, who repeatedly hacked at it with a dull sword.

"Airi, please! Wake up!" firm hands shook her by the shoulders.

At the touch of someone else's hands, she tore herself out of the dream and back to reality. Her screams finally ceased and her vision focused on Ken's face in the darkness. Immediately multiple questions ran through her head:

 _Why the_ _ **hell**_ _is he in this room? When did he even come in? How long has he been here? Why didn't I barricade the door?_ _ **That precocious brat, I should've known.**_

Decidedly, Airi reached her arm down to the floor and gripped an ax handle.

Ken seemed to read the panic on her face and scooted away from her. He knew being in her room while she slept would probably set her off, but he couldn't ignore those heart wrenching screams. "I'm sorry, yo...you were having a nightmare. I just wanted to help," he explained.

Airi, still half awake, began to calm down, her heart finally slowing to a normal heart beat. Airi's fingers released the ax and she slumped forward into her hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she mumbled through her fingers. Knowing full well that she should be begging for forgiveness rather than giving a measly apology. She had, inadvertently called him there... with her screams. And to repay him for his kindness, she had almost taken his head. Airi raised her head and looked him in the eye, "Thank you."

His eyes were trained on hers and she remembered what he said earlier in the woods. She had regained consciousness just when he was pleading with the heavens to look into her eyes again. She broke the trace that was keeping him so focused on her by shifting her gaze straight ahead at the wall. But she had seen Ken's flushed face and heard his heavy breathing. In addition, her thin yukata clung to her from the cold sweat running over her body. Whether he was a grown man or not was irrelevant. She knew how it could make any man feel. And although he was just a boy, she couldn't allow him to get any closer to her and risk the curse taking over. Then she probably would kill him.

The curse that was cast on Airi, at the young age of 14, was unpredictable and cruel. Leiko, her step-grandmother, was a heartless and malicious woman and she had devised a plan to get rid of Airi forever. It would've been all too easy to just have Airi killed, but Leiko wanted her to _suffer_. She wanted her to regret ever being born. Selling her to the bandits was the final step, but before that, she had needed a way to collect evidence and pit the entire village against her. And she chose the one thing that wouldn't be denied: a woman's wrath caused by jealousy. Airi didn't know all the ins and outs of how it worked exactly, but one thing was for sure. The curse was guaranteed to cause unwanted trouble. The few things she knew about it was that it would lure any man to desire her, by tricking him into thinking she was the one woman that he desired most. However, she could avoid such unwanted attention, as long as said man was not close enough to catch her scent. And she wouldn't risk Ken getting enticed by it, so she sent him away.

"I'll be fine now," she spoke in a harsh tone and laid down with her back to him.

A moment went by before she heard his receding footsteps. He paused at the doorway. "We made a good team today, didn't we?" He asked sincerely, seeking some type of reassurance that they were on good terms.

But Airi remained quiet, as much as it pained her to do so, her silence commanding him to leave the room. She could sense his emotions changing from his bright fiery orange to murky brown one.

He slid the door shut and walked slowly away from her room.

It was for his own good, she told herself. She had almost killed him.

 _No._

No, that wasn't quite right.

The truth was, that she had _almost_ killed...a _child_.

She made up her mind. She would leave tomorrow.

* * *

In the front side of the shrine the monk was wide awake. He had sensed Airi's energy turn dark, dangerous and out of control. And when he noticed Ken was not sleeping beside him, he feared that he would find his young companion murdered. He crept down the hallway, avoiding the well-known creaky floorboards that led into the main room. He walked around the small kitchen and peeked down the other hallway leading to the guest room. He stood still when he heard them talking. Monk Genzo pieced together what most likely happened between them and was glad Ken wasn't in any danger. But he was disturbed over the wicked and self-destructive aura that lay not so dormant within Airi's soul. It was his responsibility, to subdue and eradicate dangerous energies, regardless of the circumstances. With these thoughts weighing on his mind he returned to his sleeping quarters. But when he slid open the door to his room, a strange bright light washed over him.

He looked up surprised to see a young girl, dressed in all white with a small, round mirror held before her. The light glowing around her was otherworldly, even eerie or demonic, he thought. But he didn't sense a demonic aura. In fact, he didn't sense anything coming from the child in front of him. "Child, are you okay?" he said in a quiet voice, but she did not answer. "Can I help you?" he held a hand out towards her. But before he could say another thing, the small child attacked him. He didn't see anything, but he couldn't move. His movements were frozen and his voice was lost. Quickly his thoughts started to jumble and his eyes drifted downwards and settled on a white orb flowing out from the center of his body. The white orb floated towards the mirror of the little girl and was sucked into it. Monk Genzo couldn't fight back. His soul was trapped, imprisoning not only his body movements, but also his conscious while he could only look on in horror.

"Not wasting any time are you, Kanna?" a cold woman's voice spoke from the shadows.

"You shouldn't be here, he will get angry with you," Kanna warned.

"Relax, I'm just here to watch and learn how it's supposed to be done," Kagura replied unenthusiastically.

Kanna directed her attention to the monk, knowing that Kagura couldn't be reasoned with, but didn't do anything. After 5 minutes passed where Kanna stood there doing absolutely nothing, Kagura lost her patience.

"What are we waiting for?" she complained.

Kanna tilted the mirror towards Kagura. The mirror showed Ken leaving Airi's room. But instead of him turning the corner to go back down the front hallway, he slid open the backdoor and went outside.

Then without a word or show of emotion, Kanna faced the monk and directed him back down the hallway towards Airi's room.


	8. Chapter 8

**Leave to fight another day**

The door to Airi's room slid open. "Leave," she said firmly, her back still facing the door. But the intruder did not obey. At the sound of another approaching step, she sat up and glared menacingly at Ken.

But to her surprise, the intruder was Monk Genzo, causing her to hesitate; which she would later come to regret.

"I'm leaving tomorrow," she stated, assuming that the lack of smile on his face, meant that he knew what she had almost done. But the monk didn't reply. Instead he took out his prayer beads. "What are you…"

Without warning, he raised them above his head and whipped them around her like a lasso. The beads pressed into her skin, gluing her arms to her sides, as he held the other end taut. Airi's mouth hung open, unable to comprehend why he was suddenly so aggressive. But her look of confusion quickly faded, once she noticed his lifeless eyes and tainted aura. She narrowed her eyes at him, her anger fueled by disgust and her vanishing lack of faith in humanity. Monk Genzo's cold stare remained unresponsive.

"What do you want from me?" Airi spat.

The monk answered with a hard yank on the beads, slamming her face down onto the bedding.

If there was ever a time to panic, this was it. The monk only seemed to have two emotions, numbness and rage. And as much as she tried to wiggle an arm free, the beads wouldn't loosen. Had she really misjudged his strength? Monk Genzo began to recite an incantation made up of strange words that she didn't recognize. She didn't know what was about to happen, but she was pretty damn sure that she wasn't going to like it. She tightened her stomach muscles and rounded her back to lift her head and shoulders off the bedding. And just as she did, a bright light surged toward her.

The wave of blinding light traveled along the beads and then engulfed her entire body with an overwhelming electric pulse. As the shock ravaged her body, she gritted her teeth and held back her agony. Her heart felt like someone was ripping it out of her chest and her lungs were on fire. The excruciating pain ripped through her, tearing apart every nerve in her body. And after a few seconds, which to her felt like minutes, she collapsed onto the bedding and cried out. Her screams muffled by the same bedding that she had found comfort in earlier.

Then, almost as soon as it had begun, the wave of energy ceased. Nothing in all her life had ever been as unbearable as that striking light. The monk walked over to her limp body and dug his foot into her side and kicked her onto her back. Her vision was blurry, but the monk's disappointed scowl was a clear sign that this torture would continue.

"She is stronger than Naraku thought," whispered Kanna, before forcing the monk to attack again.

Kagura didn't voice her thoughts to her tattletale sister:  
 _If the girl was strong maybe I can use her to defeat Naraku. Well, if Kanna doesn't kill her first._

" _Reveal_ yourself!" the monk yelled, sending another shock wave through the beads. Airi tried to hold in her screams, but it was impossible. Even though she could withstand a great deal of physical pain, her soul had never been so vandalized. The only thing she desired were the 5 second pauses, when Monk Genzo stopped to examine her. She didn't even know what kind of result he was looking for. But whatever it was, she wasn't providing it and over and over he repeatedly zapped her. Each time, wishing that she would just die already.

This is definitely a punishment straight from hell she thought and wondered just how much more of this she could take. Her soul felt like it desperately wanted to escape her body and her vision faded in and out with the monk's faint chanting and her own screams echoing in her ears.

But her shrieks were not a pleasant sound to everyone. Kagura had retreated to the garden, to damper that awful noise. "Why can't he just kill people _without_ the theatrics?" she complained. Granted she had taken pleasure in Inuyasha's and Koga's pain, but her patience for slow deaths seemed to be dwindling with her growing contempt as Naraku's servant. "Well, if I'm going to find out how to use her to my advantage, I better keep her alive a bit longer," Kagura reasoned. And with a gentle and inconspicuous roll of her wrist, she guided Airi's screams through the garden to Ken's ears.

The young boy immediately sprung to life when he recognized Airi's screams. From the edge of the shrine garden, he could faintly make out the bright pure light of the monk's power and in his mind he feared the worst. It wasn't uncommon for demons to come and seek revenge, after learning about the death of one of their own. Ken raced through the yard, burst through the back door and sprinted to Airi's room. However, his expectations of finding Airi under attack from a vicious demon came crashing down. It was worse, much worse. He stood there speechless and outraged by what he saw.

Airi's body shook violently on the floor, her shrills ringing in his ears. The monk's lack of compassion and heinous spiritual attacks the cause of her suffering. He didn't know what to do. How could all this happen within a matter of minutes, he asked himself. But there was one thing he knew for sure. Seeing Airi intentionally attacked by his mentor, stirred something up inside him. He'd prefer to go to hell than to watch this happen.

Ken ran at Monk Genzo and shoved him to the side, knocking him off his feet. His unsteady fingers pulled at the beads to release her, but the monk still had a firm grip on them and sent another force of energy through them. "Stop it! Why are you doing this?" Ken cried.

The attack immediately ceased at Ken's protest, but the look of repugnance on the monk's face seemed even more dangerous. He had never seen the monk like this.

"Do you not see, you stupid boy!? We were careless and let a demonic whore slip into our quarters! I will not have it!" Monk Genzo roared, sending another attack through the beads.

Ken was stunned. "Purification only hurts demons," Ken muttered flabbergasted.  
The young boy stopped struggling to free her and looked on in horror, his mind racing:  
 _A demon. Is she really a demon? Why? It doesn't make sense._

His newly found bravery was suddenly morphing into fear and disbelief and he remained frozen from shock.

Somewhere in a safe place, Naraku watched the sacred jewel grow darker. Oh, how he loved it's tainted dark color. If only he could fill the whole world with that energy. "Soon her demon blood will have to take over," he smiled.

* * *

Back at the shinto, Airi began to regain consciousness. She arched her back in an attempt to sit up, but her head was still spinning. She fell back down to the floor with the prayer beads still weighing her soul down and rendering her powerless. Regardless of Monk Genzo's own dwindling energy, he blasted her again. To Ken's ears her screams were a horrid sound. It reminded him of his mother and the abuse she put up with.

Ken's mind played back the memory of Airi fighting alongside him:  
 _If she was a demon wouldn't she have used her powers?_  
His eyes focused on the fading bruises on her face:  
 _No demon healed that slowly._

Airi's eyes were closed, but that didn't stop her tears from falling. Ken remembered the promise he made her. The promise to protect her… from _anything_. And he stuck by his word. With Ken's renewed resolve, he wrenched at the prayer beads roughly, but he couldn't pry them off.

"Your efforts are futile! This wretched witch will be purified!" the monk shouted, sending another spiritual wave of energy through the beads.

"NO! STOP THIS!" yelled Ken.

This time Airi passed out. Panic ran through Ken now at the seriousness of the situation. For if she was a demon, she wouldn't last much longer under his spiritual power.

"Please, please don't do this," he begged, looking at the monk desperately. At last, Ken saw the lack of compassion and humanity reflected in the monk's eyes. A clear sign that Monk Genzo was possessed. They had a special protocol for such events, but he would free Airi first.

Without wasting anymore time, he picked up one of the axes and swung it down on the prayer beads, but they didn't break. That didn't leave him much choice, but to attack the monk. He took the ax and aimed for the monk. But Ken only feigned the attack to disorient him, which worked. The monk stumbled backwards and lost his grip on the prayer beads. Ken took that moment of chance to rip the beads off of her and throw them across the room. Meanwhile, the Monk was already trying to get to his feet again.

"Airi! Airi! Wake up!" Ken shook her firmly by the shoulders, but there was no response. He closed his eyes and raised his hand, "Kami please forgive me." He closed his eyes and slapped Airi hard across the face.

The young girl became unconsciously aware of a familiar kind of pain and willed herself to come to. Her breathing was erratic, but without the beads, her body wasn't heavy anymore.

"You _have_ to get out of here!" a frantic Ken shouted in her face. He shoved and pushed her towards the doorway and she tripped over her own feet as he did. She lost her balance and fell back to the floor. "We don't have _time_ for this! GET YOURSELF TOGETHER!" he shouted at her.

Ken ran at the weakened and sweaty monk again and knocked him down. He grabbed her axes, hooked his arm under hers and hoisted her to her feet. He ran to the back door, pulling her with him. She stumbled out the back door first and she turned around surprised to not see him following her. "Go! I'll be alright! I'll handle this!"

"Wait, wha..?"

He stood fixed in the doorway, matching her height now. "Take these and don't come back!" Ken said, thrusting the axes into her chest.

She grabbed the handles, but Ken didn't let go yet. He leaned in close to her face. Out of fear of tumbling backwards, Airi didn't back away. "Please be safe, I can't come with you," he pleaded.

"Ken...thank you," she said sincerely and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Ken released her and Airi disappeared into the darkness, stumbling like a drunk person as she ran, but always pushing forward. She made it past the bathing pond and was heading deeper into the woods, when she became aware of a certain familiar aura. She stopped short, feeling eyes on her. This was the same person that saved her the other day, but wouldn't show themselves. She didn't believe it to be just a mere coincidence that that same person was lingering nearby again. She was being followed.

Airi turned her head to see a womanly figure standing behind a tree. The woman, shrouded by shadow, turned her head towards her. Red eyes glared at her, sending a chill down her spine, but the female demon didn't speak.

"What is it you want from me? _Why_ did you save me the other day?" Airi demanded.

"I don't want _anything_ to do with you, actually. I'm just a puppet in this game, but you better watch your _back_ , because he'll come after you again," Kagura warned.

"Huh, he? Who are you _talking_ about?"

"Instead of asking questions, you _should_ be thanking me. Or escaping. Whichever you prefer," Kagura shrugged.

"I'm not thanking you," Airi said plainly, "And I don't know why you're following me, but I'll _kill_ you the next time I see you."

"Well, you're not stupid, I'll give you that. But as much _fun_ as this chat has been... it would be best if you run along, before I get orders to restrain you," Kagura suggested.

Knowing that she was too weak to win a fight, Airi reluctantly turned her back on the woman and fled into the forest.

Kagura didn't know what hidden powers Airi had, but if Naraku was interested in her, then she would be too.


End file.
